Q&A: Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Services

Yes. Importers will be specifically required to have programs in place to verify that the products they bring into this country comply with FSMA requirements. To accomplish this, importers will need to verify that their suppliers have food safety management systems in place that provide the same level of public health protection as those required under the Act.

Even though some of the specifics of the Act have not yet been finalized, it is not too early to move toward compliance. Developing and implementing well documented preventive measures including critical control points along with corrective action procedures is a very good start.

Only those products under USDA inspection (or other government mandated HACCP programs like juice and seafood) are exempt. If you also produce other products that do not fall under existing HACCP mandates, they will be subject to FSMA requirements